No sign of young stars

AS OLDIES BOW OUT

THE 2013Africa Cup of Nation is Didier Drogba s swan song.

’ The Ivory Coast skipper, one of the greatest African players of the past decade, is bidding farewell to international football as he prepares to fade into obscurity to allow for the next generation of African stars to emerge. And it s not only Drogba who

’ could be making his final Afcon appearance. A host of other players, such as countryman Didier Zokora, Nigeria skipper Joseph Yobo, Mali captain Seydou Keita and Lomana Lualua of the Democratic Republic of Congo might soon call it quits too.

Barring injuries and politics, Emmanuel Adebayor might be enticed to go for the 2015 Morocco edition, as could Ivorian Kolo Toure, Algerian Antar Yahia and Cameroonian Samuel Eto o and perhaps Zambian

’ Christopher Katongo, among others.

Drogba has been a symbol of hope for many aspiring youngsters who want to crack it in top European leagues.

But with the former Chelsea striker set to disappear into oblivion, the continent sits and waits for the next generation to emerge and dazzle.

With a week into the Afcon tournament, noted for its acute lack of goals, none of the emerging stars has sizzled so far as the spotlight remains fixed on the old dogs.

Gervinho might be playing in one of the best European teams English

– Premiership side Arsenal but the

– Ivorian striker lacks the X-factor.

Legendary Afcon coach Claude le Roy, currently guiding the DRC, has described Tresor Mputu as the next

“Samuel Eto o ”.

’ But those who ve seen Eto o in his

’ ’ prime would regard that as an insult to the former Barcelona and Inter Milan striker, if not an absurd comparison aimed at swelling Mputu s

’ confidence. Ghana s poster boy Asamoah

’ Gyan is too psychologically fragile to take penalties, whereas top strikers around the world tuck them away and Ivorian striker Wilfred Bony has been spending too much time picking his nose on the bench.

Tunisian Youssef Msakni, Sofiane Feghouli of Algeria and Nigerian Musa Ahmed haven t as yet ditched

’ their shells in this tournament.

As part-time TV commentators, several PSL coaches who have been following the Afcon action have observed the trend and none more

– so than Free State Stars mentor Steve Komphela.

That is actually a challenge. I “haven t seen any outstanding young

’ ster so far,” says Komphela. The senior players are perform“ing, but they are not giving us anything special. But it could be because we are “nearing the end of a generation and there s pressure on the new African

’ generation to emerge.

It s the same expectation on “’ Bafana Bafana.”